Teach Primary Issue 18.5

• Why does a library organise information? • Which art materials are best for sketching ideas? • How can selective colour be helpful in creating an impactful character design? produce results quickly. Be sure to reinforce the notion that this stage is all about rough sketching, ideas and practice, so nothing needs to look perfect (encourage pupils to ditch the eraser). 3 | PRESENTING THE CHARACTER DESIGNS Ask pupils to draw a single comic panel onto a sheet of paper. They can draw the frame of their panel free- hand or with a ruler. Then the children can begin by drawing their monster character in pencil inside the panel. Remind them to refer to their previous sketches. Next, get the children to go over their designs in black pen. They can try permanent marker pen for the bold, thicker lines and ballpoint pen for the thinner, more detailed ones. Ask pupils to decide which areas are the most out different ideas when developing comic character designs. This part of the creative journey is about experimentation and practice. The aim of sketching is for pupils to learn from their experiences. Encourage the children to enjoy the process of visually exploring, as this will help pupils create unique characters! Have the children roughly sketch out all their ideas, in pencil, onto paper or into a sketchbook. Ask pupils to carefully observe ‘real life’ images, whether photographs or drawings, for the basis of their monster idea. They could try looking at historical figures for their adventurer. Remind pupils to try multiple ideas, drawing different angles, and close-up details. Pencil and paper are great at this step in the creative process, as they are simple and • Look at a selection of comic books and ask children to identify different comic features, such as speech balloons and sound effects. Invite pupils to enhance their character illustrations by adding comic text boxes to label and explain their design decisions. • Create a storyline! Discuss different scenarios involving pupils’ characters, such as the monster arriving in school or the monster and adventurer meeting for the first time. • Pupils can bring their characters to life by making a comic story in a mini comic zine. (Zines are small magazines, handmade and DIY in nature.) Explain what a zine is, and demonstrate how to fold sheets of paper to make one, before asking children to create their own. Ask pupils to include at least one of their characters. Remind children to include comic panels. Their comic may be silent or have speech and thought bubbles, it might include sound effects, and it could be colour or black and white. EXTENDING THE LESSON important sections of their character design and how they could make these stand out. (They can use colour.) By inviting children to be selective, it will help them add colour in a minimal way to create an effective character design. Ask pupils to add only one colour to highlight parts of their illustration. Pupils could use watercolour paint, ink or pencil. Can the children draw anything else in the frame to help show the impact of their monster? They could indicate size, for example, by incorporating features in the landscape: maybe a small car to show their monster is huge in scale by comparison. Finally, on a separate piece of paper, ask pupils to create their adventurer character in response to the monster they have designed. They should think about what outfit, kit or special belongings they might require in order to defeat (or befriend!) their monster character. Hester Harrington has over 20 years of experience in art education. She develops resources for all ages and abilities, with a specialism in using comics in the classroom. She collaborates regularly with The Lakes International Comic Art Festival. USEFUL QUESTIONS “Creating an original character design is a great starting point for further narrative-based activities” www.teachwire.net | 71